How can we create better outcomes for Black women’s mental, maternal, and physical health? Planned Parenthood LA’s nurse practitioner, Kara James, is stopping by to share the resources we need to know to help Black women advocate for their health. 

Stay Connected with us! Email us at AskDrImani@crooked.com

 

TRANSCRIPT

 

Dr. Imani Walker: This show is for general information and entertainment purposes only. It is not intended to provide specific health care or medical advice and should not be construed as providing health care or medical advice. Please consult your physician with any questions related to your own health. [music break] Hey, cats and kittens. Welcome to Imani. State of mind. I’m Dr. Imani. 

 

MegScoop Thomas: And I’m MegScoop. Not cats and kittens though. 

 

Dr. Imani Walker: Cats, cats and kittens, girl. Cats and kittens. Because for us, this is the day after Halloween. For everybody else, this is November 4th. So–

 

MegScoop Thomas: Yes. Election–

 

Dr. Imani Walker: –We’re solidly in November. Yeah, elections are coming um I–

 

MegScoop Thomas: Tuesday, did you vote yet? Are you about to? You’re going to vote on election day? 

 

Dr. Imani Walker: No. No well, I. I was about to say I haven’t voted yet, but um I have we have mail in ballots. So– 

 

MegScoop Thomas: Okay. 

 

Dr. Imani Walker: I’m going to [sigh] I mean, here’s the thing. I’m going to vote. Like don’t don’t trip. Nobody trip I’m going to vote. It’s just that, you know, with each passing kind of election cycle or year, I’m just like I’m like these motherfuckers is the same. Like. 

 

MegScoop Thomas: Right. 

 

Dr. Imani Walker: I’m like, y’all the same, like, this is stupid. Like I’ve read, I read so many stories about like, oh, you know, they be like, you know, wearing diapers and filibustering and they be talking shit about each other in the press. And then, you know, when, when it’s all said and done, they have the, you know, the Christmas party. They all cool and chill and whatever. And I’m just like, this is stupid, like, like whatever. I’m just I’m like, I’m a vote. I’m going to vote for, you know, what I think is right. And, you know, I mean, I live in California, so luckily it’s not going to be like neck and neck or like like the way things are, you know, out in Georgia for you guys. As far as the uh the the the Senate race. 

 

MegScoop Thomas: I know. 

 

Dr. Imani Walker: So. 

 

MegScoop Thomas: Y’all don’t have no Herschel Walker with his fake badge– 

 

Dr. Imani Walker: Girl. 

 

MegScoop Thomas: –in Cali. Okay? [laughing]

 

Dr. Imani Walker: I mean I mean, lets fuck a fake badge like this dude is out here. Just somebody else came out, didn’t somebody else come out talking about, oh, yeah, he made me get an abortion too? 

 

MegScoop Thomas: Yes. He made her get–

 

Dr. Imani Walker: He paid for my abortion? [laugh]

 

MegScoop Thomas: Yes. And he’s like staunchly opposed to abortion and like it in any case, not even for like incest or rape, like he’s still opposed to it. So it’s like, bruh, but you but it’s okay for you. It’s okay for you? 

 

Dr. Imani Walker: I mean, I don’t even know. I don’t even know why they call him Hershel Walker.

 

MegScoop Thomas: And and and get this, it’s it’s his baby it’s she’s alrea– she’s his baby mama that got the abortion. So it’s not like it’s some random girl that’s like, no, it’s somebody you already have a child with. So it’s just it’s too much like but I will say– 

 

Dr. Imani Walker: It’s raggedy. 

 

MegScoop Thomas: Raggedy, I’m going to vote. But like, I feel like every year when I vote, I feel like I’m getting closer and closer to writing my name in. [laughing]

 

Dr. Imani Walker: Oh yeah. 

 

MegScoop Thomas: For like everything. 

 

Dr. Imani Walker: Yeah legit. 

 

MegScoop Thomas: I’m a just write my name– 

 

Dr. Imani Walker: No. 

 

MegScoop Thomas: –and vote for myself because I can’t keep doing this with y’all. Y’all got to come better than this. And I feel like if I’m going to complain about the candidates that are on the ballot, then I need to just become one and I’m not that great. Okay. I’ll be honest with you. All right. I’m probably not the best choice. 

 

Dr. Imani Walker: You’d do better. 

 

MegScoop Thomas: But– 

 

Dr. Imani Walker: Listen, they need to call Herschel Walker Planned Parenthood at this point. I mean, [laugh] I’m just like, I don’t know who you trying to front on. We all know that like you know you be you be aborting these kids left and right. So whatever. 

 

MegScoop Thomas: Yeah. 

 

Dr. Imani Walker: Whatever. 

 

MegScoop Thomas: I just don’t know. I just don’t–

 

Dr. Imani Walker: I’m I’m pretty I’m I don’t know. I mean, I’m just like a lot of the issues that we’re dealing with in California um as far as the ones that are that might be kind of I guess I don’t even want to say that might be kind of close. But the ones that I’m most most interested in are the um the proposition. Um. The we have propositions out here. So like there’s one proposition which, you know, forgive me, everybody, I really haven’t done my research yet because I still have a week to vote. But there’s this one proposition where it’s like, you know, like it’s like if you vote if you vote no on this one, then you gonna close all these dialysis centers. And I’m like, well, hell no, I’m not about to do that. But then but then the messed up part about these propositions is, you know, they have all these little like um–

 

MegScoop Thomas: Secret loopholes–

 

Dr. Imani Walker: Like– 

 

MegScoop Thomas: Unless like– 

 

Dr. Imani Walker: Right, secret things– 

 

MegScoop Thomas: Yeah you may–

 

Dr. Imani Walker: –up in there. 

 

MegScoop Thomas: Either you like, oh, either close all the dialysis centers or the alternative is like you’re going to close on all the–

 

Dr. Imani Walker: Kill all these kids. 

 

MegScoop Thomas: –the the cancer children hospitals, like. Wait, what? Those are my two, [laughing] those are my two alternatives? 

 

Dr. Imani Walker: It’s crazy, it’s crazy it’s crazy. So I’m I’m kind of like ehh there was another proposition that overwhelmingly passed that was Proposition H a few years ago that allotted money to the uh the state and then, you know, on to the cities to deal with the homeless problem. 

 

MegScoop Thomas: I was there I remember. 

 

Dr. Imani Walker: And– 

 

MegScoop Thomas: Mm hmm. 

 

Dr. Imani Walker: Yeah but $220 million dollars got left on the table last year because it wasn’t used to actually build housing. So I’m like, I mean, I work for a hospital that deals with county contracts. And every year it’s like, yo, if we don’t. If we don’t bill for this, we’re going to leave the money on the table. And they’re not going to give us the same amount that we got last year. So the fact that they didn’t build anything and I get that it was a pandemic, but I’m like $220 million dollars? 

 

MegScoop Thomas: I know. And I voted for that. Oops. Like– [laugh]

 

Dr. Imani Walker: Right. I’m like y’all trying to put these– 

 

MegScoop Thomas: Wait. I didn’t see that loophole. I didn’t know.

 

Dr. Imani Walker: They trying to put these homeless people in like little little tiny houses and shit. I’m like, uh uh, y’all y’all need to build them like, a real ass house for all that money, so. [laugh] Anyway. Okay, wait. So before we get into, like, the real for real current event, there’s something that I came across and, you know, as we know, like all the Kanye-ness like, you know, it’s starting to kind of like, you know, just calm down a little bit. But there was something that I saw that had me legit screaming um and it had to do [laughing], it had to do with our favorite um, Kanye West. And this negro said that George Floyd’s family I want to get this right. Hold on one second, because I have to just pause. Here we go. This negro. Let me go up. Here we go. So Kanye West shares a message for Roxie Washington, the mother of George Floyd’s daughter, quote, “You’re either being controlled or you’re being greedy.” Now, there was a fire response that did not– look at Meg. Y’all can’t see her but she like I’m I’m done. Let me tell you. 

 

MegScoop Thomas: Oh. [sigh] 

 

Dr. Imani Walker: So, so and so the response this response did not come from either Roxie Washington or anybody associated with George Floyd or Kanye West, but it came from somebody else who is allegedly, allegedly bipolar. And I’m only bringing this up because we always mention how Kanye West is bipolar, but Azealia Banks, who has exhibited, you know, possibly some symptoms, you know. 

 

MegScoop Thomas: Yeah they the same girl. 

 

Dr. Imani Walker: I don’t know her. 

 

MegScoop Thomas: They the same. 

 

Dr. Imani Walker: Yeah, it’s something that, you know, people are floating around that she could possibly be bipolar. But I just think it’s interesting because I’m like I’m done with Kanye West. He has created a schism amongst Black people that is like, listen, either you want Uncle Ruckus or you not like it’s like. Ah. There was a song that came on my radio today. It was a Tyler the Creator song, with Lil. It was Lil Wayne, Tyler the Creator, and Kanye West. I couldn’t even listen to it. I was like, Next. 

 

MegScoop Thomas: I’m done with it. 

 

Dr. Imani Walker: I was like, No, I’m like, I’m not even, right. I was like, I’m not doing this. So, okay. Azealia Banks [laughing] Azealia Banks said it was it was a little like it was it was the long– It was the longest run on sentence I’ve ever seen that had the most disses in it. And she said, she said. Um. She said, You fucked with the right one. Are you surprised that you have finally disrespected the right Black woman? Um. You are used to being allowed to paint us as these subhuman serial abortion [?]’s with no repercussions because ain’t shit Black men like you and every other nigga in hip hop won’t jump in to help us when we are being abused. Now, the thing that had me dying is she said. I can’t wait to see you drinking a flat sprite out of a garbage can in Times Square. [laughter] 

 

MegScoop Thomas: Stop. 

 

Dr. Imani Walker: And I tell you– 

 

MegScoop Thomas: That is–

 

Dr. Imani Walker: –listen, when I tell– 

 

MegScoop Thomas: –hilarious. 

 

Dr. Imani Walker: –you how I fell out. Listen. 

 

MegScoop Thomas: Hilarious. 

 

Dr. Imani Walker: Azealia Banks, she problematic, but when that bitch is mad, she say the she’s like, I’m the right you found the right bitch on the wrong day. 

 

MegScoop Thomas: That was so–

 

Dr. Imani Walker: Okay. 

 

MegScoop Thomas: -specific, a flat sprite. 

 

Dr. Imani Walker: It was so specific. When I see you drinking a flat sprite [laugh] out of a garbage can in Times Square. 

 

MegScoop Thomas: [laughing] In Times–

 

Dr. Imani Walker: And and and the, the imagery was I was like, mmm mm hmm yes, I’ve seen that. 

 

MegScoop Thomas: Life–

 

Dr. Imani Walker: I have seen that. 

 

MegScoop Thomas: Life is rock bottom. 

 

Dr. Imani Walker: Yes. 

 

MegScoop Thomas: You right girl. That was the perfect picture. 

 

Dr. Imani Walker: [laughing] [indistinct] screaming. So anyway, I bring that up to say, here, here’s one person who’s who we know is bipolar. Azealia Banks might be bipolar. I you know, I don’t recall if she ever said that, but let’s just assume that she is for the sake of this conversation. Just because you’re bipolar does not mean that you’re always on the wrong side– 

 

MegScoop Thomas: Right. 

 

Dr. Imani Walker: Of [pause] of what’s right in the world. So– 

 

MegScoop Thomas: Right. 

 

Dr. Imani Walker: She was very hot and she let him know exactly how she felt. And for you, Azealia, I salute you because you also from Harlem and I know that people be talking shit about you, girl, and you be having chickens and shit in your closet and you [laughter] be doing all kinds of [?] shit. But you know, when you done with them, with them, chickens you need to clean up that blood. Okay. [laughter] So anyway, anyway, um more importantly, more importantly, um something very specific happened today in current events that we’re all kind of reeling from by the time that you guys are listening to this um some days would have passed, but um uh Takeoff died today um from Migos, which is just so unfortunate, it’s so sad. Um. There’s more details that are coming out about it. Meg, you were saying something a little while ago– 

 

MegScoop Thomas: Yeah, this has–

 

Dr. Imani Walker: –about what happened. This has I mean, it hasn’t been confirmed. But there you know, you can see it on the Internet that um there was somebody who was there. It happened at like a bowling alley in Houston. Um. And he sent a DM to the [?] to one of the blogs and said, this is what happened, here are some pictures um right before it happened. And what the guy said was that they were playing dice um and Quavo was losing and he was getting mad. 

 

Dr. Imani Walker: Mm hmm. 

 

MegScoop Thomas: And then, you know, the I guess there was a some some gangsta dudes that, you know, are from Houston that were there playing as well, supposed to be like helping be bodyguards or something like that to that effect. And he started getting mad. They started getting mad right back. And then someone in Quavo’s camp, which means someone in Takeoff’s camp, started shooting and the shots hit Takeoff. So one of Takeoff’s friends killed him, allegedly. Um. So we’ll find out more, I’m sure, in the next few days, next few weeks, what the actual story is. But, you know, regardless if this is true or not, the moral of this story is like you can’t be at a different level in life and still do the same stuff that you was doing. 

 

Dr. Imani Walker: Exactly. 

 

MegScoop Thomas: You can’t be I mean, just just let me just be real. You can’t be a celebrity rapper and then still on some nigga shit. And that, you know what I’m like you–. 

 

Dr. Imani Walker: Right. 

 

MegScoop Thomas: Why are you still shooting? Like at least, at least with your homeboys okay like, I’m just going to shoot dice with my very best friends that are close to me. Not some random people in a public setting like and I’m sure people was drinking. 

 

Dr. Imani Walker: Right. 

 

MegScoop Thomas: Probably under the influence of drugs. You add all that? That’s just a tinderbox. Like you’re expecting trouble. 

 

Dr. Imani Walker: Yeah. Absolutely.

 

MegScoop Thomas: Can’t do that no more. You can’t do it. 

 

Dr. Imani Walker: Right. No it’s just. I mean, it’s there’s the there’s the element of, you know, you you are a target because you have made a lot of money. More money than probably everybody combined around you is worth in that dice game. But– 

 

MegScoop Thomas: Yeah. 

 

Dr. Imani Walker: –Also there’s just the whole notion of and I and granted he was 28. There’s also the notion of you just can’t do like young people shit no more like–

 

MegScoop Thomas: Yeah. 

 

Dr. Imani Walker: You just you can’t like it’s like like you said if you want to play dice at your house with all your friends, fine. But you know, and and just to be clear, yes, you can be outside at two in the morning with all your gold on with all your, you know, um luxury labels. And you can do that. You have a right to do that. That does not mean that you deserve to die. But at the same time, there is something to be said for. There’s something to be said for just forethought. And, you know, like the same shit that I used to do when I was like 20. I don’t I don’t do that shit no more. I mean, a.) because I’m always tired because I’m old, but also [laughter] but  b.) Because like, you know, I’m not I’m not trying to put myself out there and and get got. Case in point. Okay. For example, this is actually like an example me and my dad was talking about last week. When the pandemic hit. Right. And I you know, I live in L.A. Everybody out here want to be flossy. Same thing with you. Same thing in Atlanta. Everybody in Atlanta, when I lived there, I was like, this is like little L.A., the pandemic hit. I had a rather expensive car at the time, and I was I wasn’t going anywhere. But when I would go out, I was like, oh, my god. Like, I felt like, you know, I had a target on my back. 

 

MegScoop Thomas: Yeah. 

 

Dr. Imani Walker: Because people was out of work, broke, whatever. So of course you heard, everybody heard how, you know, there be people like, you know, Oh, I’m just going to go on Melrose and I’m going to wear my $500,000 watch. And they would get got and people–

 

MegScoop Thomas: Right. 

 

Dr. Imani Walker: –was getting shot. And I was just like, I don’t like what part of people don’t have no money and we in a pandemic, people didn’t have money before and–

 

MegScoop Thomas: Yeah. 

 

Dr. Imani Walker: –We in a pandemic. And you on Melrose and you eating on the sidewalk with a half a million dollar watch. What part of you not going to get got or what part of you gonna get got do you not understand? 

 

MegScoop Thomas: Right. Read the room. 

 

Dr. Imani Walker: Like, that’s ridiculous. 

 

MegScoop Thomas: Read the room. 

 

Dr. Imani Walker: Read the room. Read the room. So, you know, it’s it’s just that type of thing. Nobody’s saying that you can’t do what you want to do, but you have to have some forethought, you know, especially when you’re the only person who, you know. I mean, I’m listen, I was not there, but I’ve been around dumb hood shit and people get got and one of the first things some raggedy niggas be doing is going through people pockets. 

 

MegScoop Thomas: Yeah. 

 

Dr. Imani Walker: Like legit. So it’s it’s just it’s really unfortunate and it’s so sad because Takeoff was, is, was 28. 

 

MegScoop Thomas: Yeah. 

 

Dr. Imani Walker: 28. That is insane. It’s insane. Like I wasn’t even–

 

MegScoop Thomas: Everybody says the same thing about him. He was the nicest, quietest, like he so unbothered. 

 

Dr. Imani Walker: Yeah. 

 

MegScoop Thomas: He– I don’t even think he was playing. I think he was just chilling. He wasn’t even, not talking. 

 

Dr. Imani Walker: Right. 

 

MegScoop Thomas: You know, and you know to get the–

 

Dr. Imani Walker: What I had what I had read was something about and again, you know, unsubstantiated. I don’t know I wasn’t there that but that it was Quavo I guess who I. Well Quavo was the one who was mad. 

 

MegScoop Thomas: Yeah. 

 

Dr. Imani Walker: And um did you just say that? 

 

MegScoop Thomas: Yeah. Yeah, he was the one playing dice. 

 

Dr. Imani Walker: Okay. Sorry. 

 

MegScoop Thomas: And he was mad because he was losing. 

 

Dr. Imani Walker: Yeah, he was mad because he was losing. Right. And so it was so. Well, what I had heard initially was that the bullet was intended for Quavo, but I, you know, but we’ll find out more details. But just the fact that you got shot minding your business at a dice game, I mean, please, I can’t remem–I can’t even tell you how many times I passed by dice games, wasn’t even involved. 

 

MegScoop Thomas: Right. 

 

Dr. Imani Walker: And, you know, if I would have got shot, I would have been hot. Hot. Hot. I mean, provided I still was alive. Even if I wasn’t alive, I’d be like, I’m a I’m a um I’m a haunt your ass for the rest of your life. So– 

 

MegScoop Thomas: Imani. 

 

Dr. Imani Walker: Don’t don’t play with me. What? Don’t play with me. I was minding my business, don’t play with me. 

 

MegScoop Thomas: Oh Imani. 

 

Dr. Imani Walker: But I mean legit like RIP to Takeoff. Takeoff, please don’t be haunting nobody but you have a right to, you do because that was that was hella that was hella wrong. And um you know, I feel so bad for his family. 

 

MegScoop Thomas: I do too. 

 

Dr. Imani Walker: I don’t remember right now because somebody in Migos is somebody else’s uncle. 

 

MegScoop Thomas: Oh, Quavo is Takeoff’s uncle and then Offset whose– 

 

Dr. Imani Walker: See. 

 

MegScoop Thomas: –with Cardi B is their cousin. 

 

Dr. Imani Walker: That’s crazy. 

 

MegScoop Thomas: So that’s his uncle. 

 

Dr. Imani Walker: That is so– 

 

MegScoop Thomas: You know what I’m saying? Yeah. And they had just– 

 

Dr. Imani Walker: That’s fucking terrible. 

 

MegScoop Thomas: –released um an album. 

 

Dr. Imani Walker: Yeah. Called– 

 

MegScoop Thomas: Called– 

 

Dr. Imani Walker: –Only built for infinity links. 

 

Dr. Imani Walker: Oh my god which is the best title. 

 

MegScoop Thomas: No no no no no. It’s called it’s called, Unc and phew. Unc and phew. 

 

Dr. Imani Walker: Oh. I thought they had–

 

MegScoop Thomas: That’s the newest one.

 

Dr. Imani Walker: I thought the album was called, Only Built for Infinity Links or something, which, you know, if you know Hip Hop is an ode to uh Only Built 4 Cuban Linx by my favorites, Raekwon and Ghostface. So purple tape. So anyway. 

 

MegScoop Thomas: Oh I’m sorry, Unc and phew–

 

Dr. Imani Walker: Um. 

 

MegScoop Thomas: –Is their no, no, no. I think that is the name of it. I’m sorry. It’s their their new group because, you know, they used to be– 

 

Dr. Imani Walker: Unc [indistinct]

 

MegScoop Thomas: –Called Migos. Yeah, it’s. I’m sorry. That’s the name of their new group. That doesn’t include–. 

 

Dr. Imani Walker: Right. 

 

MegScoop Thomas: –Offset. 

 

Dr. Imani Walker: See. I I I felt some kind of saltiness. But I mean, whatever they all family. It’s fucked up. I mean, Quavo lost his nephew. That’s just terrible. 

 

MegScoop Thomas: That’s right. 

 

Dr. Imani Walker: That’s terrible. 

 

MegScoop Thomas: That’s just– 

 

Dr. Imani Walker: Well, you know. 

 

MegScoop Thomas: It’s tough. 

 

Dr. Imani Walker: Everybody playing dice, stop getting mad when you lose, okay? Like you gambling– 

 

MegScoop Thomas: It’s it’s not yeah. 

 

Dr. Imani Walker: –you gonna lose some money. 

 

MegScoop Thomas: It’s not worth. It’s not worth anybody’s life. It’s never been worth anybody’s life. Dice game.

 

Dr. Imani Walker: It’s never it’s never worth anybody’s life. It’s it’s so, ugh so sad. Um. In any case, I mean, that just happened today. By the time you guys are listening to this podcast, a few days would have passed. So we, you know, you guys will know more information. Um. This legit happened like or we found out about this legit like hours ago. Um. It’s just it really makes me sad for his family. I’m sure you know, his mom and, you know, [sigh] ugh just terrible terrible. Um. And I’m sure that’s got to be super stressful for his mom and anybody who’s related to him. It just makes me think about everything that’s happened. I mean, keep in mind, we we’re kind of climbing our way out of a pandemic. And when you you know, a lot of people have had to deal with death just from COVID. And even if you didn’t die from COVID um, just death in general is really stressful to deal with. And stress can really cause a lot of problems, physical problems, and mental problems uh when it’s when it’s really, really high. And just got me thinking about the state of health, the state of like mental health, the state of of everybody’s health, though specifically the state of Black women’s health. 

 

MegScoop Thomas: Yeah. 

 

Dr. Imani Walker: And we’re going to be talking about that today on our podcast, especially what we need to do and what we need to know in order to better help ourselves. So we have a guest today. I’m super excited. We’re going to get into that a little bit later. Um. And if you guys are loving the show, let us know by rating the show on your favorite podcast app. So we have so much stuff to talk about as usual. So we’re going to start this show. [music break] So we want to know what’s on your mind. We want to know what you’re struggling with, what you’re dealing with. We love giving our professional and not so professional advice. 

 

MegScoop Thomas: Yes, ma’am. And it’s time for Ask Dr. Imani anything. Our first letter today comes from Terri, and here’s what she had to say. Dear Dr. Imani and Meg, what do you do when you feel invisible? I feel like I’m walking through the world completely invisible. I wish people could see I’m struggling with so much hurt. I mean, I have friends. I have a husband. I have a good job. So outside looking in, I have it all. But I feel like I have nothing. I can only see the negative in everything. Is there a diagnosis for that? My first emotion is always sadness or anger before I choose happiness. I have so much pain in me and I can’t explain why. Let anyone tell you I had the perfect life. I just want to feel something. Anything for a change. Any suggestions on what the hell is wrong with me? 

 

Dr. Imani Walker: Hi Terri! Okay. So first of all, thank you for your letter. Um. This is actually really interesting because when you said, when you started out by saying, what do you do when you feel invisible? Honestly, and I’m not trying to be funny here. What I first thought about like the first thing my mind went to is The Invisible Spy, um which was a sketch on a Black Lady Sketch s–

 

MegScoop Thomas: Yup. 

 

Dr. Imani Walker: Black Lady Sketch show. Did you did you um–

 

MegScoop Thomas: I’ve seen it yeah. 

 

Dr. Imani Walker: –did you see that? 

 

MegScoop Thomas: It’s just really funny. 

 

Dr. Imani Walker: Okay. 

 

MegScoop Thomas: It’s sad, but it’s funny. 

 

Dr. Imani Walker: It’s sad, but it’s funny, right? And she’s so basically invisible. The invisible spy on a Black Lady sketch show is it about this woman who is Black and overweight. And because of that, no one, I guess, like everybody, sees her as invisible. But it turns out being invisible is her superpower. 

 

MegScoop Thomas: Yeah. 

 

Dr. Imani Walker: Um. So she does be like she don’t be like, you know, really? Like having to do all like she’s not. She’s not um. What do you call it? What was who was Tom Cruise in um Mission Impossible? She’s not on Mission Impossible in her way. She not– 

 

MegScoop Thomas: Yeah. 

 

Dr. Imani Walker: –Hanging from no ceiling. She just be walking right into the spot. [laughing] And people be like, oh, like people don’t even see her. So that’s actually the first thing I thought of. I mean, here’s the thing. You feeling invisible also reminds me of what can be, well, what is known as far as depressive symptoms, as like, like psychomotor retardation, which basically means like you kind of feel like you’re walk like you feel like you’re moving slower than the rest of the world because you said, I wish people could see I’m struggling with so much hurt and that you only see the negative in anything and that your first emotion is always sadness or anger. Before I choose happiness, here’s the thing. You may not be able to choose happiness because you really sound like depressed, honestly. 

 

MegScoop Thomas: Yeah. 

 

Dr. Imani Walker: And um it’s when when you’re depressed, it’s you want to choose happiness. But your brain and your mind chemically can’t make that choice on its own. So if I were you, Terri, quite honestly, I would at the very least seek out therapy and or start talking to a psychiatrist or find a psychiatrist. Um. I I totally understand you saying I have the perfect life. I just want to feel something. Anything for a change. Yeah. You honestly. You you sound like you’re depressed. You sound like you are emotionally blunted, which can which some people also describe when they’re depressed. You just sound like you possibly most likely have clinical depression and you should definitely, you know, seek help for that. 

 

MegScoop Thomas: You said everything I was going to say. [laugh] If I was a professional. [laughter] 

 

Dr. Imani Walker: Yeah. 

 

MegScoop Thomas: I mean, no that’s that’s as soon as I saw this, you know, I was like, okay, she’s depressed, I think, because there’s so many different facets. If it really was just I feel invisible, to me, that means it’s because you’re around people who don’t recognize your worth right or don’t take they take you for granted. But because, Terri, you added the other stuff in here about you’re struggling with hurt, you know, your first emotion, sadness and anger. Um. You know, I want to feel something like all of these things. Then that tells me it is not external. It’s something that’s going on with you. So I have to agree with Dr. Imani on this. It sounds like sounds like depression. And you should–

 

Dr. Imani Walker: Yeah. 

 

MegScoop Thomas: You know, there’s a lot of look, ain’t no shame in your game. Go get help, because if you could feel the opposite with a pill, do it, girl. Okay. 

 

Dr. Imani Walker: Look, listen. This Prozac got me right? [laughter] This Prozac got me so right. I mean, because I’m like, when I was reading Terri’s letter, I was like, girl, that was me. Me, but just was mad. 

 

MegScoop Thomas: Yeah. 

 

Dr. Imani Walker: Just [grumble sound] just mad, mad at things that had nothing to do with me. Mad at just. I mean, just mad. And that’s that that can be part of depression, too. So, yeah, Terri. I would definitely, you know, if you have a primary care doctor, I would talk to that person first. Um. Maybe that person can make a referral for you. But if if not if, and if you if you have insurance, I would just um go online and look to see which mental health care providers are um in your area and make an appointment. Yeah. So um that that’s what I would do. So, Terri, thank you for your letter. Um. And you said any suggestions on what the hell is wrong with me? Yeah, I think that you really have depression, so, um you know, let us know um what you end up doing and if you end up feeling any better. So–

 

MegScoop Thomas: Yes. 

 

Dr. Imani Walker: Um. Our next letter comes from a listener by the name of Ebony. 

 

MegScoop Thomas: And she says, Dear Dr. Imani and Meg, I need help before I slap the shit out of my future sister in law. She has turned–

 

Dr. Imani Walker: Stop. 

 

MegScoop Thomas: Into this– 

 

Dr. Imani Walker: Stop, stop, stop. Girl. 

 

MegScoop Thomas: You know it’s bout to be a good letter when it start off like that. 

 

Dr. Imani Walker: Okay, it’s about to be on. Okay. Okay, go ahead. Sorry. Sorry. [laughing]

 

MegScoop Thomas: She has turned into the worst bridezilla for her wedding. This girl said I need to lose 22 pounds and she’s going to put me in the wedding. Mind you, I only weigh 135. She has my grandmother sitting at a table closer to the back because she said she doesn’t trust her outfit that it won’t be distracting. That’s terr– How you gonna do grandma like that? I’m trying to be nice to her out of the love I have for my brother. But this girl has been so rude this entire wedding process to my entire family. I’m like, maybe she has us all fooled and this is who she really is. A rude biatch. I am torn on whether I should even attend the wedding because I don’t approve of my sweet brother marrying such a disrespectful bride. You all always know what to do and say. So I’m listening and I’m taking notes here. 

 

Dr. Imani Walker: Oh, Lord, have mercy. Okay. Ebony. Ebony. Whoo! All right, first of all. Um. I don’t. I don’t know your your Sister in law, obviously, I don’t I don’t even know you, but um but there’s something that you mentioned. You said maybe she had us all fooled and this is who she really is. I’m not going to sit here and say that that is accurate, because when it comes to weddings, I personally don’t really know because I kind of eloped. I don’t really know how stressful. I mean, I know how stressful a wedding can be just by second hand. Um. I was actually I was actually in one of my my the first wedding I was ever in was my best friend’s wedding from um high school. And she was like, yeah, Imani, I want you to be in this wedding, obviously, because, you know, you my best friend and I love you, but also because I know that they’re going to be some people that are in the bridal party that are going to need to be talked to and or slapped. [laughter] And you’re that person. And I’m like, hell yeah, I’m that person. Like, I ain’t gonna let nobody fuck up your day. Fuck that. Like, like I’m like, fix your face, bitch, fix your face, bitch before we go down– 

 

MegScoop Thomas: Yeah. 

 

Dr. Imani Walker: –This aisle, okay? This is all about her and not about you. So get it together. And I had to, you know, I had to do a little something that day because people like I remember there was one particular person, um I think it was her sister in law and she was like, I don’t like this makeup but it makes us makes me look like a clown. I was like, well then bitch, I guess you your name is Krusty today because if [laughter] we if you gonna be a clown, we all going to be clowns. It ain’t got nothing to do with you. [laughter] Walk outside, walk outside, get you a big red nose and some floppy shoes and work it out, bitch. Okay. I’m like it ain’t got nothing to do with you. Like, if that’s fucking what she wants you to put on your face. Then bitch, do that shit. Like. Come on now. By the time the reception happen, you can take that shit off. And really, none of us looked like a fucking clown. I mean, come on, now, stop. So. 

 

MegScoop Thomas: I know but, wait, wait, hold on. 

 

Dr. Imani Walker: So. 

 

MegScoop Thomas: It sounds like you’re telling her to just let the bride do what she want to do because it’s her day. 

 

Dr. Imani Walker: Well, I mean, in a way, you kind of hav- yeah, you kind of have to deal with it. I mean, listen, I’m not this sister in law saying, like, oh, you need to lose 22 pounds. I mean I mean, I’ve said this on the show. I’m not saying that your sister in law is delusional, but she’s a little like her desire to make this wedding into her own image of what she wants it to be is is causing her to lose a little bit of touch with reality. So you kind of have to treat her the way that like I treat people who are delusional and when they say some off the wall shit, I’m like, okay, alright, I hear you, now do I do it? No. [laughter] Obviously you not going to lose 22 pounds for a wedding like you 135 pounds. It’s fucking crazy. So you just be like, okay, girl, all right, I hear you. Because I guarantee you, as the date as her, as the wedding day approaches, she’s going to forget or she’s going to find so many other things to focus on, like she’s just completely stressed out. And granted, everybody can be a bitch. I call, listen. That’s why I call everybody a bitch. Men can act like bitches. Women can act like bitches it’s really just just you being perturbed and irritated. So she’s going to be perturbed and irritated. She doesn’t have to. And there’s there’s definitely a way to do that, which is to just have a small wedding and not, you know, fuss over everything and realize that you’re supposed to have a good time that day. But, you know, I understand that some people, when it comes to weddings, they may also be influenced by their family members like, oh, well, you know, you wanted to have it small but like, you know how you not going to invite this person, how you not going invite this person. So, you know, it’s possible that your sister in law may just be completely overwhelmed and you may want to kind of take that into account. You may even want to like have a little talk with her and be like, yo, I know you overwhelmed. Like, is there, like like there I feel like there’s something more to this and it’s very easy to be dismissive and just be like, you know what? Like this, like she a bitch. I’m not even fucking with her. And at the end of the day, that may be the decision that you have to make. She might just be completely wilin, but at the same time, it’s kind of like some people, when they get overwhelmed, don’t know how to use their words. And she may not know how to use her words to be like, I’m completely like my mother is driving me crazy. My aunt is da da da da. And bleh. I mean, who? Who knows? Who knows? But you may find that you could be an ally in this situation. And then, look, if not, I mean, fuck her just be like, you know what, [laughter] I’m a come to the wedding. What do me and Meg always say? The food might be good. 

 

MegScoop Thomas: Right, the food is popping. 

 

Dr. Imani Walker: The food might be good. So–

 

MegScoop Thomas: The cake is probably great.

 

Dr. Imani Walker: Right. The food is. Right. If the food is poppin and the drinks is flowing, girl go. Like it’s like bitch I ain’t even got to fuck with you after this. So just keep that in mind. And if at the end of the day she being a ho ho, then just be like, you know, I’ma just go to this wedding for this food. Because when my best friend that I was tell that was talking about had her wedding, that shit was at the Four Seasons, we had a shrimp cocktail before the reception. We. I was like, yum, yum, yum. I was like, this shit is fun as hell. [laughing] This shit is fun as hell. I was full on shrimp and then I went and danced and then I took my Black ass home. So, you know, just just keep in mind that, you know, there’s a lot of pressure when you when someone gets married. And sometimes it’s not necessarily just the pressure from within. It might be your sister in law having a lot of like outside pressures that she’s trying to navigate and it’s making her overwhelmed so– 

 

MegScoop Thomas: That’s really nice. That’s a really nice. 

 

Dr. Imani Walker: Isn’t that nice? Like, didn’t I really– 

 

MegScoop Thomas: Yes. 

 

Dr. Imani Walker: –Like come through because, you know, usually I’m like well then fuck the ho. Like [laughing] go about your business. 

 

MegScoop Thomas: Well. So now I’m going to respectfully disagree because no. 

 

Dr. Imani Walker: Okay okay, go ahead. 

 

MegScoop Thomas: F her– 

 

Dr. Imani Walker: Go ahead. [laughing]

 

MegScoop Thomas: –is what I’m gonna. Because here’s the thing. I feel like when you’re put in a pressure cooker situation, that’s who you really are. The truth comes out when you are, you feel like you’re back’s against the wall, you’re overwhelmed. I feel like that’s the that’s you. This is you. 

 

Dr. Imani Walker: That’s that’s [indistinct]. 

 

MegScoop Thomas: Stripped down from all the pleasantries of life, like this is who you are. And at this point, she telling you to lose 22 pounds? That’s very specific. Okay?

 

Dr. Imani Walker: It is. 

 

MegScoop Thomas: Like 22–

 

Dr. Imani Walker: It is. 

 

MegScoop Thomas: She she this is who she is. 

 

Dr. Imani Walker: Like bitch who you talking to?

 

MegScoop Thomas: Like how– 

 

Dr. Imani Walker: Right. 

 

MegScoop Thomas: –did she come up with that math? That’s what I want to know. She this is who she is. Not like you need to lose a couple pounds. No, 22 pounds. And then the fact that she put her future grandmother in law in the back because she’s doesn’t doesn’t want people to be distracted by an outfit she might wear. Right?

 

Dr. Imani Walker: That’s trifling. That’s so trifling. 

 

MegScoop Thomas: It’s a, a grandma? Like grandma– 

 

Dr. Imani Walker: Yo grandma. 

 

MegScoop Thomas: –ain’t gonna be here that long. It’s it’s that bad for you that you want to put your future grandmother in law, in the back? Like, that’s just that’s a lack of disrespect. This is who she is Ebony. This is your future sister in law. So get ready, because this is what your life is going to look like. Christmas’s, vacations. Matter of fact, this is I’m pretty sure this is reared its head before in your brother’s relationship, you said he’s very sweet, which means he’s going to he’s let her run over him. He’s going to continue to let her run over him. This is a choice that he’s making in his life. Now, you need to decide as a sister if you’re going to watch this or not. And if you decide, like, okay, well, I, I personally would go to the wedding, even though I feel like this is who he wants to marry because it’s he’s a grown man and that’s his choice. And you want to support him at his wedding even though you don’t like her. I think you should still go. But– 

 

Dr. Imani Walker: Mm hmm. 

 

MegScoop Thomas: I don’t think–

 

Dr. Imani Walker: Because the food might be good.

 

MegScoop Thomas: Boom, the food might be popping. Also, you need to protect your grandma in case she say something disrespectful to her because, you know, she might be like– 

 

Dr. Imani Walker: Actually don’t. Don’t, don’t let, let let grandma’s, listen. My grandma said the wildest shit at my cousin’s wedding that we later found out really wasn’t a wedding like they really didn’t get married for real. And listen, that’s I’m like honestly I’d sit next to your grandma. 

 

MegScoop Thomas: There you go. 

 

Dr. Imani Walker: I’d sit next to your grandma. I’d sit next to grandma. 

 

MegScoop Thomas: Sit next to your grandma. 

 

Dr. Imani Walker: I might even move my grandma closer just just to just to be that bitch. But sorry, Meg. Go ahead. 

 

MegScoop Thomas: Well, I’m just saying, you know, this is he knows what he’s getting into. I’m pretty sure he’s seen this side of her before. And if it’s a choice he’s making, that’s your brother, you still love him, but he he going to have a tough life being with a woman like this. So just be there for your brother. And, you know, if he wants you at the wedding, I would– 

 

Dr. Imani Walker: Right. 

 

MegScoop Thomas: –Talk to him about it, say, hey, I’m not going to be in the wedding because your girl is wilin and told me I need to lose 22 pounds. But I will, I will attend. 

 

Dr. Imani Walker: Right. 

 

MegScoop Thomas: But I don’t think it’s fair for her to tell me what I, if I have to lose weight? Like you–

 

Dr. Imani Walker: Yeah no that’s–

 

MegScoop Thomas: –don’t need to be anorexic for your wedding? You got to be. It ain’t that it ain’t worth that. So yes.

 

Dr. Imani Walker: But also don’t tell nobody to lose weight. Like a–

 

MegScoop Thomas: Right. 

 

Dr. Imani Walker: –Dress. Like like the dress fits you, right? Like, the you can get the dress altered to your specifications. You don’t. You don’t need to whittle yourself down to get in to a dress. 

 

MegScoop Thomas: Yeah. 

 

Dr. Imani Walker: That’s ridiculous. Like. 

 

MegScoop Thomas: Yes. 

 

Dr. Imani Walker: That’s fucking crazy. That’s. That’s so stupid. I remember when my friend, um Chezik got married, and this is somebody who really, like, she work out kind of, but not really. And this bitch was going to the gym twice a day and I was like, what are you doing? Like that’s shit I do, because I just I just really like working out. And she was like, oh, I’m trying to get into this dress. I was like, girl, you are so fucking crazy. And then I remember because I was in her wedding when like she had on this dress and I was like that shit looked so heavy. She was like, oh, yeah, it’s like ten pounds. [gasp] I was like what do you do– I was like, This is crazy. This is craziness. But that but look, that was her vision. That’s what she–

 

MegScoop Thomas: Yeah. 

 

Dr. Imani Walker: –Wanted. So I, you know, it ain’t my wedding. 

 

MegScoop Thomas: Right. 

 

Dr. Imani Walker: I was just there for the food. And then I ate and then I left. 

 

MegScoop Thomas: Mm. There you go. 

 

Dr. Imani Walker: But also because I had a really bad back ache. I mean, I wanted to be there for my friend, but I had I had really bad sciatica, so I really–

 

MegScoop Thomas: Right, right. 

 

Dr. Imani Walker: –couldn’t do too much. Um. Anyway, Ebony, feel free to, I’ll put it to you like this. You try it my way first. 

 

MegScoop Thomas: Yes. 

 

Dr. Imani Walker: And if your sister in law is just acting a whole goddamn fool, then just do what Meg set and just be like, you know, fuck this ho I’m out. I’m out. Like, I’m a come, I’m a come. I’m a come because best believe like me eating up all this food is your tax for being stank. So– 

 

MegScoop Thomas: Yup. 

 

Dr. Imani Walker: Yeah. Plus I’m vindictive. So I like doing stuff like that. [laughter] So, so anyway. Anyway, Terri and Ebony, I hope that was helpful for you. 

 

MegScoop Thomas: Yes. And if anyone out there has questions or a problem centered around your mental health and you want our amazing advice, please send your emails to AskDrImani@Crooked.com. You can also text or leave us a voicemail at 818-252-9462, hit us up because we want to hear from you. 

 

Dr. Imani Walker: Yes. Okay. So we’re going to be switching gears now. We’re going to be going into our deep dive today. [music break] 

 

[AD BREAK] 

 

Dr. Imani Walker: Okay. So it’s time to get into this deep dive. As Black women, we want to make sure to continue to create conversations centered around the well-being of Black women. 

 

MegScoop Thomas: And when it comes to our health, if you look at every major outcome, whether it’s high blood pressure, reproductive cancers, maternal health, mental health. Black women are doing worse than most groups. 

 

Dr. Imani Walker: Yes. So we wanted to bring in somebody to help us shine a light on the health of Black women. What are our choices and options? What resources are out there for us? Kara James is a nurse practitioner for Planned Parenthood, Los Angeles, and she has provided direct clinical care to patients since 2015. She’s a Black mother and passionate evidence based activist whose work is framed through the lens of racial equity and anti-racism to understand and address health inequities. 

 

MegScoop Thomas: Welcome to the show, Kara. Thanks for joining us. 

 

Kara James: Oh, thank you. 

 

Dr. Imani Walker: Yeah, thanks for thanks for joining us. 

 

Kara James: Thank you so much for having me. 

 

Dr. Imani Walker: Yeah, of course. Tell us a little bit. I mean, I know we gave our listeners like a little kind of, you know, intro to you, but tell us a little bit more about like what you’re specifically passionate about. 

 

Kara James: I am Kara James. I am a proud um nurse practitioner at Planned Parenthood, Los Angeles. But first, I’m a mother. I’m an advocate. I’m a motivator. I’m a speaker. Uh. I’m a Black woman through and through. And I am very motivated about uplifting and empowering other Black women. 

 

Dr. Imani Walker: I was going to ask you, you know, as a as a nurse practitioner and you’re with Planned Parenthood, I’m sure you you see a lot of things that you know from the ground up uh going on at Planned Parenthood. One thing I want to ask you, what other services does Planned Parenthood have? Because I think everyone knows about the abortion services and they think that’s it. What else does Planned Parenthood do? 

 

Kara James: So at Planned Parenthood, we have a Black health initiative which focuses on Black health care. Um. We treat urinary tract infections. Um, we treat men, most people don’t think that we treat men. We have um many men come in for sexually transmitted infection check, sexually transmitted infections. They come in for discharge if they have any type of skin issues on um on their penis. Um. Women, we have breast exams, we do pap smears, um you know, so especially a urinary tract infection infection can be life, a life threatening illness. You know, if it goes to your kidney, you can die from it. So we do treat that as well. So Planned Parenthood is doing a phenom- phenomenal work throughout the community, not just uh abortion care. And thank you for asking that question cause that’s really important. We do vasectomy vasectomies as well for men. 

 

Dr. Imani Walker: What! You do? 

 

Kara James: Mm hmm.  

 

Dr. Imani Walker: Have you seen? Okay. So I saw a lot of articles once um Roe v Wade was appealed and I saw a lot of articles that mainly focused on um, I guess, the experiences of white men who had partners or some of them didn’t have partners, but they specifically planned um and and got vasectomies after Roe v Wade was overturned. Have you seen an uptick um or has any have any of the clinics that you that you work at have have you seen an uptick um in Black men getting vasectomies or no? 

 

Kara James: In reference to Roe v Wade? Not at all. I have not. 

 

Dr. Imani Walker: Okay. 

 

Kara James: But you have to think about– 

 

Dr. Imani Walker: I figured it– 

 

Kara James: –the difference, right. The difference in privilege. You know, when when you talk about Roe v Wade and there are a lot of non-Black women who were getting long term um birth controls because of Roe v Wade. But I didn’t see the same thing when it came to Black women. You know, think about black women aren’t uh. HBCUs? 75% of HBCUs are in areas that have have restrictions on abortion or do not have abortion anymore. And so well there weren’t coming in from, you know, students from HBCUs coming in to get long term uh contraceptives. 

 

Dr. Imani Walker: Mm hmm. Mm hmm. I can speak to that. I went to a Black school. I went to Xavier um, which happens to I went to Xavier University of Louisiana, which happens to be across the street um from an area of New Orleans called Gert Town. And uh Gert Town was awarded millions of dollars um years ago because when I was there actually um and living on campus, Gert Town was unfortunately the recipient of a lot of um illegal environmental dumping. And the residents were getting cancers and dying early and kids were affected and it was this whole thing. Um. But yeah, a lot of HBCU’s are in not even like, like we’re past the inner city, like we’re like a lot of HBCUs are in areas of the city that are very, very, very disadvantaged. Um. I’m not going to sit here and say that that was by design. I would hope uh that, you know, our Black schools weren’t being placed in those types of areas. But for and for Xavier in particular, I know Xavier was is is an HBCU, but it wasn’t started by a Black person so. 

 

Kara James: I went to Southern University, Baton Rouge. 

 

Dr. Imani Walker: Oh, okay. Nice. Nice, nice.

 

Kara James: And I graduated from high school in New Orleans. 

 

Dr. Imani Walker: Oh. Where did you, where did you graduate in New Orleans? 

 

Kara James: I went to Abramson. 

 

Dr. Imani Walker: Oh okay. I’m not familiar with Abramson, but but um I have family in New Orleans. So so I know. I know all about I know all about that uh. Oh, okay. So there’s there’s something that I also wanted to ask you about in terms of you working for Planned Parenthood. Now, when it comes to being Black folks in America, we oftentimes find ourselves either working for or working alongside with uh corporations or people who may not have always had our best interests in mind. Um. I’m I’m sure you’re familiar with Margaret Sanger, who had uh founded Planned Parenthood. So we’re just wondering, has has that ever like did that ever cause any, like, issues for you in terms of like, you know, should I work for Planned Parenthood? Margaret Sanger um founded Planned Parenthood and she was um back in her day a pretty a pretty strong proponent of eugenics. Um. And so I’m just wondering if that ever if you did you ever feel like, oh, my God, like, am I compromising my principles? Or am I compromising like, you know, my my love and adoration for for Black folks? When this woman who started Planned Parenthood was like a full eugenicist. 

 

Kara James: So let me say that my background degrees are Black studies and social and sociology. Sociology. I call it hood studies. Um. So– 

 

Dr. Imani Walker: Okay. 

 

Kara James: –This is a this is a mentality. It’s not a hairstyle. Um. I want to make sure I say that when I first um interviewed for Planned Parenthood, my three daughters were extremely excited because of what we have to offer in the community. They knew that um there was no, you know, everybody could come, you know, there was no limitation. Yeah. We don’t look at people sideways when they come in. You know, people are safe when they come within Planned Parenthood. I also must say that within six months of being at Planned Parenthood, I uh spearheaded the creation of our Black Health Initiative in response to the detrimental impact of the COVID 19 pandemic. So um centuries of systemic racism, uh white supremacy, and the violence on Black communities and the support of Planned Parenthood, Los Angeles, not um has been absolutely phenomenal when it comes to the Black Health Initiative, I mean, from the top up, from the CEO all the way through. So my experience has been absolutely phenomenal. And if you know that Planned Parenthood, the federation, is ran by a Black woman, a real Black woman, uh you know, not just for play, but um who’s really passionate about our community. The Black Health Initiative is now not just a Los Angeles initiative, but it’s a nationwide initiative. So I’ve never you know, I have never had to rethink, you know, my position in accepting um this position. Cause I see sisters who come into Planned Parenthood, and that’s all they know. You know, they may be 35 years old with insurance, but they know Planned Parenthood and understand and feel the how the safety of Planned Parenthood. I’ve used Planned Parenthood myself, you know, so I know that I utilize my position and and it’s so important to see providers that look like you. You know. 

 

MegScoop Thomas: Yeah, for sure. 

 

Kara James: –So being able to be into the high schools, I’m a high school dropout, so me being able to talk to youngsters inside the high school is absolutely phenomenal. And so I get the opportunity to wear many hats at Planned Parenthood. Um. So I I know my history and I know how important it is for us to make to if we don’t speak up, nobody else is going to speak up for us. 

 

MegScoop Thomas: Right. 

 

Kara James: So it’s important to be in to the institutions and making a difference in these institutions. 

 

MegScoop Thomas: Um. I was going to ask you about, you know, with Roe v Wade no longer being the federal law of the land. How has that affected some of this state, some of the other states where there were like trigger laws or states that have legislation that’s now like there’s no abortion, you know, freely in that state. How has that affected Planned Parenthood in those states? 

 

Kara James: So let me I will start with our own state. So access to safe and legal abortion ensures that every single woman has the freedom and power to control her own body, her own decisions, and her own destiny. In a million years, I would not have thought that we would rescind Roe v Wade and lose the federal protection for abortion access. But that shows that California is not safe. No state is safe. Even if you have abortion access, you’re not safe. So Proposition One here in California ensures that no judge, no politician, no legislator has the power to control a woman’s choice for her family, her life or her future. We are like I was saying, that the Black Health Initiative is now a nationwide initiative. So many states don’t have access to abortion, which means that you’re going to be forced to carry an unwanted pregnancy to term, or you will be um trying, going to some side doctors trying to get an abortion or trying to do the cert– to do a procedure yourself, which is going to cost some people their lives. 3 to 4 times, Black women are 3 to 4 times more likely to die in childbirth. And so that number is going to increase with the loss of Roe v Wade. And so that’s why it’s so very important to have the Black Health Initiative. With through Planned Parenthood across this nation because so many people are not going to have that access. You know, people can’t afford food, transportation, child care, housing. So how are you gonna tell somebody? How are you gonna tell a young sister who don’t have boots that she need to pull herself up from the bootstraps? So we need to be–

 

MegScoop Thomas: Right. 

 

Kara James: In these places– 

 

Dr. Imani Walker: Right. 

 

Kara James: –And empower our our sisters. 

 

MegScoop Thomas: Man, that’s–

 

Dr. Imani Walker: Right. 

 

MegScoop Thomas: –So important. I had this I remember when I was in high school, I had to do there was like a a, I was in a debate class and we had to do a project about I think my the this thing that the teacher gave me was I had to defend Roe v Wade. Now, at the time, I was like maybe 15. I was like, what is that? So then I had to do like, you know, all the the research that it went into it. And one of the things that I found is something that you just mentioned, which is um the loss of life for pregnant women, was like the number one killer of pregnant women before Roe v Wade. And and I think about that and I’m like, so we have like, so states want us to go back to that? Like the, that’s what we have to go back to is is that now not only do Black women fear just being pregnant because, you know, I just had a baby six months ago, like, that was a scary experience, you know, being Black and making sure my providers were Black, making sure they understood, making sure I had a conversation about certain things, you know, with the nurse and who wasn’t Black. You know, that experience is tough enough. So now it’s like, oh, also there’s a chance that you, add add the additional layer of dying possibly from unsafe abortions. It just makes me really sad that it seems like, you know, the inequity for women of color is just it’s not much we can do. So what do you say, with that saying that? What do you say to people who say that, you know, Planned Parenthood is just a place for, you know, that’s trying to eradicate Black babies? 

 

Kara James: You know, uh to go back to your story of what you said when abortion was illegal. You know, certain people were abl– had access to abortion. But if you had money, power, resources, you had access to abortion even back then. 

 

Dr. Imani Walker: Mm hmm right. 

 

Kara James: So those who were able to have the therapeutic abortion inside a hospital wasn’t us. 

 

MegScoop Thomas: Right. 

 

Dr. Imani Walker: Right. 

 

Kara James: You know. So. And it is still it is still the same. So when you think about abortion uh and when you think about abortion, the same procedure is needed. So I want to go back to a story. I had three young sisters that came into the, I was talking to the other day, college graduate um California residents, and they were deciding where they were going to move to for their future, to start their career. And so they had to make the choice dependent on where they had access to abortion, not in case–

 

Dr. Imani Walker: Right. 

 

Kara James: –they had to have a termination, not about a termination, but if they had it, if you were pregnant and you had difficulties within your pregnancy, you may not be able to find providers who are able to provide care for you if you’re having a miscarriage or if you’re having issues within your pregnancy. So your life is on the line because you don’t have the access to abortion or the procedure similar to abortion. And so, you know, you have to think about all that that comes with it. It’s not just about abortion, you know, and it’s not just for women. If you’re if your wife is having a miscarriage, that affects the husband, the mother, the father, it affects the whole family. Because if you don’t have a provider willing to provide care for you, your life is going to be in danger. It’s bigger than just–

 

Dr. Imani Walker: Right. 

 

Kara James: –Abortion. It’s about life. 

 

Dr. Imani Walker: From, I mean and this is a little bit different. But when Roe v Wade was overturned, one thing that I thought of just as a physician is like, I’m not an ob gyn, but if I were trained to have to know how to perform abortions, it’s like, well, what if I happened to unfortunately live in a state where I’m trained to know how to perform abortions? But now you’re telling me I can’t do it? Like I was trained to be able to do something and now I can’t provide like when, like when I didn’t. When you take that that Hippocratic Oath or I’m an osteopath, so it’s a different oath, but it’s the same thing. It’s that you will provide the best care for your patients and you will do no harm. And it’s like so basically you’re now telling me that I you taught me things, they’re in my arsenal as far as, like medical treatment and care. I can’t do it. And furthermore, if I do do it, now my license is somehow like my license can potentially be like called into into question like, like and and when it comes to Black physicians, we only make up 4% and it’s pretty much split among as far as like gender, like 2% men, 2% women as far as like Black physicians. So I was just like, I can’t imagine. It’s like someone telling me, well, you can’t prescribe this medication anymore. It’s like, well why not? It’s like well, the Supreme Court said you can’t. It’s like, well, but they’re not physicians like– 

 

MegScoop Thomas: Right. 

 

Dr. Imani Walker: –What does that have to like? What do you, what are you telling me right now? Like– 

 

MegScoop Thomas: Right, right. 

 

Dr. Imani Walker: –This is not in your wheelhouse. Like, get out of my face. So it’s it was I’ve been reading these stories of of of OBGYNs of like of of maternal health care providers. Like what? Like what are you saying right now? Like, we can’t do what we’ve been trained to do because you have an ideological and this Supreme Court is very is is, you know. Yes, definitely like conservative. But then there’s also that conservative Christianness that not all of us like. 

 

MegScoop Thomas: Right. 

 

Dr. Imani Walker: That the majority of us in this country don’t ascribe to. So it’s like so basically because of how you feel about your God, which is not my God, obviously like that means therefore that I can’t like work? [laughter] [indistinct] Is that what you’re saying? Like, that’s like that’s absolutely ridiculous to me. Um. Yeah. It’s just like it like philosophically, it just it drives me. It drives me insane. Um.

 

Kara James: I mean, imagine this, though. You have your you a physician. And so your your your patient is life is on the line and you have to go in front of an ethics committee as opposed to providing care. 

 

Dr. Imani Walker: Right. 

 

MegScoop Thomas: That’s crazy. 

 

Kara James: Like that sounds ludicrous. 

 

Dr. Imani Walker: Right. 

 

MegScoop Thomas: It’s crazy. 

 

Dr. Imani Walker: It’s crazy. 

 

Kara James: And then so you want me to have this–

 

Dr. Imani Walker: No, it’s crazy. 

 

Kara James: You want me to have this child, right? But then you want you don’t want you want to continue with racism, discrimination, violence in my community. My community is not safe. My schools are trash. But you want me to– 

 

MegScoop Thomas: Right. 

 

Kara James: –You want me to have this baby? I mean, what about everything– 

 

Dr. Imani Walker: Right. 

 

Kara James: –Else that goes beyond just this pregnancy? 

 

MegScoop Thomas: Yeah. 

 

Kara James: How about the whole life livelihood of, you know, that’s that’s what parenting is. Parenting is not just having this baby. Parenting is everything. 

 

MegScoop Thomas: Yeah. 

 

Dr. Imani Walker: Right. Yeah.

 

MegScoop Thomas: And I had this conversation with one of my friends. She’s white and I had to preface it with that– 

 

Dr. Imani Walker: Uh oh , here we go. 

 

MegScoop Thomas: –so you understand. 

 

Dr. Imani Walker: Already already know already know. 

 

MegScoop Thomas: So she, she– 

 

Dr. Imani Walker: Is this the Facebook, Facebook conversation? 

 

MegScoop Thomas: Yes. Yes.

 

Dr. Imani Walker: Yes. Okay. 

 

MegScoop Thomas: So she says to me, she says, you know, I’m so glad that Roe v Wade is gone because I you know, basically it’s just a tool to get rid of babies. I know a girl who’s gone to Planned Parenthood six times to have an abortion and they just let her every single time. And and I–

 

Dr. Imani Walker: That’s a lie. 

 

MegScoop Thomas: And I just said, I thought about that. I was like, well, I’m pretty sure that’s not the norm, first of all. Secondly, I like–

 

Dr. Imani Walker: I don’t believe you. 

 

MegScoop Thomas: [laughter] I think she was telling the truth because–

 

Dr. Imani Walker: [laugh] For real.

 

MegScoop Thomas: She said she had this conver– She she knew the girl, she had a conversation with her a couple of times on– 

 

Dr. Imani Walker: She lying. 

 

MegScoop Thomas: –these different abortions. 

 

Dr. Imani Walker: She lying. She just want to be right.

 

MegScoop Thomas: And I was just like I didn’t have much to say except number one, what if this girl had all six of these children? What kind, as passionate as you are about her not having the abortion, what did you want her to do once she had the six kids? 

 

Dr. Imani Walker: You gonna like, I’m like, are you going to take care of ’em? 

 

MegScoop Thomas: That’s that’s what I’m saying, I was like well you know she said she could have gave them up for adoption because there’s ki– people who want children and all these things and I–

 

Dr. Imani Walker: Because there’s Black, there’s Black kids are being adopted all the time. 

 

MegScoop Thomas: Right. 

 

Dr. Imani Walker: All the time. 

 

MegScoop Thomas: And I was just that that sounds–

 

Dr. Imani Walker: Like hotcakes. 

 

MegScoop Thomas: Right. I said, that sounds good. And that, in a in a perfect world, like, I get what you’re saying, but that’s not the country that we live in. We don’t live in a place that is fair to Black people. Black boys die every single day and no one bats an eye. So you’re just telling me, like, you don’t have that same passion for life that’s already here. Why not? And she was just like, that’s besides the point. I said, that’s that’s exactly the point. 

 

Dr. Imani Walker: That’s exactly the point. 

 

MegScoop Thomas: That’s actually the point. 

 

Dr. Imani Walker: That’s all that’s the entire point.

 

Kara James: It doesn’t even matter how much money you make, if you educated. I still want you to die. Like it doesn’t matter, you know. 

 

Dr. Imani Walker: Right. Right.

 

Kara James: Maternal morbidity and mortality, it don’t matter how educated, how much money, you know, that we we still gonna get racism. They still look at you like mm you Black. I mean, that’s. I don’t care regardless, you still receive that. And so that’s what the reality is. You not going to take any of that back. 

 

MegScoop Thomas: Right. 

 

Dr. Imani Walker: Right. 

 

MegScoop Thomas: You know, just saying that she was like, well, I just feel like Planned Parenthood should have um some kind of responsibility. If you come in there like twice or more, you know, they should have some kind of mandatory conversation about like birth control. And I was like, girl, you got four kids. Like, didn’t nobody have no conversation with you about, [laughter] you know, birth control. And while I understand what she’s saying, because she’s like, you know, people just using abortions as birth control, I was like, well, you don’t know the situation from this girl, number one. And number two, like, I’m pretty sure Planned Parenthood isn’t just being like, hey, everybody, come in for your abortion as many times as. Like, I’m sure there is literature, I’m sure there is conversations. This is the different these are the different types of contraceptives you can use, because that’s actually, from my understanding, how Planned Parenthood started. Right. Like the learning, teaching women about their options of, you know, you don’t have to get pregnant today like like in this paternal society is trying to make you do.  

 

Kara James: So think about this though– 

 

Dr. Imani Walker: And they’re also a gang of women. They’re also women who are married, who get abortions–

 

Kara James: Well one thing–

 

Dr. Imani Walker: Because they don’t want to have more kids because they can’t afford it. 

 

Kara James: So, access to uh access to everything is not fair. I don’t care what it is. And when you think of sexual education, that’s not a fair thing. You know–

 

MegScoop Thomas: Right. 

 

Kara James: –Throughout certain schools, some other people get better sexual heal–, sexual health, education. And then think as Black folks, a lot of times you’re like, okay, just don’t have sex. Oh, that’s not helping at all. You know? 

 

Dr. Imani Walker: At all. 

 

Kara James: And then you may live in a place where you, the contraceptive desert where you don’t have access to contraceptions. And so that’s what increases the access to abortion, you know, not just oh I’m just willy nilly out here. Wow. But what about all those things that play a huge part? Access ain’t fair. 

 

MegScoop Thomas: Yeah. Because, you know, when when I was in high school, I’ll say that, when I was in high school I was a cheerleader and all the white girls on the cheer squad, they parent’s had gave them birth control. Not one Black girl on that squad parents had ever talked to them about birth control. It’s a cultural thing, you know, like, so all y’all out here just protected. You don’t have to worry about abortions because you’re on birth control. What about the Black girls? 

 

Dr. Imani Walker: Exactly. Let me let me just ask you really quickly, uh Kara, you had touched upon this um a little while ago, but out here in California, there’s uh Proposition One. Um and can you tell us a little bit, because I’m reading the language and I mean, look, if you a voter like these propositions, the language in these propositions, sometimes I’m like am I voting yes, am I voting no, like, what am I doing? Like, what am I doing? Um. Can you explain to us a little bit about what proposition one in California, which honestly is a very free state when it comes to uh women’s rights and that kind of a thing. But what exactly is Proposition One um uh purporting or what what is Proposition? If you vote yes for Proposition one, let’s say what what what are you what? Like what what are you trying to get? 

 

Kara James: So and it’s the language of proposition one is pretty clear to me. So Proposition one is a right to re– uh reproductive freedom amendment. And so it it it uh it amends the California Constitution to include uh reproductive um rights including of access to abortion but also contraceptives. And as far out as it seems like oh well contraceptives well contraception. Why is that on the line? Because they’re gunning for contraceptives too. And in California, we’re not safe. All it takes is a change in a political climate and we can lose all the access that we have. So it ensures that not just for us, but for our children, our children’s children, to ensure that we have access to abortion and contraceptives and or the right to choose or to refuse contraception in the future. So, again, it ensures– 

 

Dr. Imani Walker: Right. 

 

Kara James: –That no judge, no politician, no legislator has a power to control a woman’s–, her family, her future, her life. 

 

Dr. Imani Walker: Right. Right no that’s super important. Yeah. Everybody out here in California, I was about to say LA. Everybody out here [laughing] in California, not just L.A. It’s very important uh that you vote appropriately for Proposition one. So, Kara, I just wanted to, first of all, say thank you for joining us. 

 

MegScoop Thomas: Yes. 

 

Dr. Imani Walker: Um. And I also want to remind all our listeners out there that Planned Parenthood is not just about abortions, um is not just about birth control. Uh. Planned Parenthood also provides mental health services, which I forgot, I totally forgot. So my bad on that. Um. What else is Planned Parenthood provide really quickly before we wrap up? 

 

Kara James: Thank you for saying that, because that was on my little list when you asked that earlier. So when you can, you can walk into a clinic um a few of our clinics and get behavioral health. We have licensed clinical therapists in the clinic, and so it’s often– 

 

Dr. Imani Walker: Nice. 

 

Kara James: –Time, which is absolutely phenomenal to me, very empowering to be able to say to a patient who is stressed out going through life, going through hell and high water. We have a therapist right here in the clinic for you, and that is so– 

 

Dr. Imani Walker: Right. 

 

Kara James: –Very empowering. Planned Parenthood also has a community center, and so we’re partnering with other uh community based organizations for educational programs. Um. Soon we’ll have doula care. We have prenatal care at–

 

Dr. Imani Walker: Oh, wow! 

 

MegScoop Thomas: Nice. 

 

Kara James: Yeah. Well–

 

Dr. Imani Walker: Nice. 

 

Kara James: –[?], well I mean, we trying we we’re, the the focus is reducing health care disparities. 

 

MegScoop Thomas: Yeah. 

 

Dr. Imani Walker: Right. 

 

Kara James: And in collaboration with other organizations as well. And so we offer prenatal care at our Inglewood clinic and a couple, at uh at our Santa monica clinic. And so it’s– 

 

Dr. Imani Walker: Nice 

 

Kara James: Yeah, so I mean it it, Planned Parenthood is doing some phenomenal things. Thank you for bringing up the behavioral health, cause how did that, I that was on my list, but it I lost that one. [laughing] 

 

Dr. Imani Walker: Oh, no, I wasn’t gonna forget. I’m a psychiatrist. 

 

Kara James: Okay. 

 

Dr. Imani Walker: I was like, I was not going to forget about that. [laugher] And I, I had a doula. I mean, please. I had so many people. 

 

MegScoop Thomas: Me too. 

 

Dr. Imani Walker: I have I had a um a home birth. I had so many people in in a damn room. I had a doula, I had a a I mean a a midwife, her assistant. It was I mean there was there was too many people [laughing] in there at the end of the day. But but I you know, I I’m so happy to hear that doula services are going to um are going to start, you know, being offered by Planned Parenthood. That’s that’s that’s amazing. So, Kara James, nurse practitioner extraordinaire, thank you so much. 

 

MegScoop Thomas: Yes. 

 

Dr. Imani Walker: For coming on to Imani State of Mind. We loved having you um and thanks for just explaining what you do and talking to you. We definitely can feel how passionate you are about what you do and the services you provide for our people. So– 

 

MegScoop Thomas: Yes. 

 

Dr. Imani Walker: That’s all the time we have for our deep dive conversation today. 

 

MegScoop Thomas: That was a really good discussion. I I just want– 

 

Dr. Imani Walker: It was. 

 

MegScoop Thomas: –to point that out. Yes. But let’s move on to our favorite segment, pop culture diagnosis. [music break]

 

Dr. Imani Walker: Okay, everybody, let’s get right in to our pop culture diagnosis for this week. Meg, can you please give our listeners a quick synopsis of the HBO Max hit White Lotus and who we are going to diagnose this week? 

 

MegScoop Thomas: I love this show, this Emmy winning series. 

 

Dr. Imani Walker: Do you? 

 

MegScoop Thomas: Yes, I do. I don’t know why, but like, yeah, I started watching it, I was like trying to understand it because okay– 

 

Dr. Imani Walker: I don’t know. 

 

MegScoop Thomas: –We’ll get into it. But–

 

Dr. Imani Walker: Okay, okay. 

 

MegScoop Thomas: –so this this series. It is a wild ride from start to finish. The White Lotus follows different guests um and employees at this fictional resort, all who find themselves in like complex relationships with one another. And I tend to like shows where it’s like all these strangers, but they’re somehow, like, interconnected. I don’t know. I just like that. 

 

Dr. Imani Walker: Mm hmm. 

 

MegScoop Thomas: But season two just dropped. So in honor of the premiere, I wanted to diagnose our girl Tanya on the show. And Tanya is played by Jennifer Coolidge. And in the show, she’s an eccentric guest grieving her mother’s death. 

 

Dr. Imani Walker: Listen. All I know is uh Jennifer Coolidge, bitch, I fuck with you, okay? [laughter] She is– 

 

MegScoop Thomas: She’s a great actor. 

 

Dr. Imani Walker: That bitch is hilarious. She is so funny. 

 

MegScoop Thomas: Yeah. 

 

Dr. Imani Walker: You know, that’s Stifler’s mom. I mean, do you remember um–

 

MegScoop Thomas: Yes. [laughing]

 

Dr. Imani Walker: –American Pie? 

 

MegScoop Thomas: Yes. Stifler’s mom, yeah.

 

Dr. Imani Walker: Girl that is Stifler’s mom this, Jennifer Coolidge. I’ve seen her. I saw her in, she was in Best in Show. She been in a bunch of stuff. But like listen, this bitch is crazy. I love her to death now just kind of like. I just. I just remembered something. So there’s an actor on this show. Um. On the show. His name is Shane. And Shane is is um the first season he’s engaged to this chick, Rachel. Now, that being said, the guy who plays the actor who plays Shane on on White Lotus is named Jack Lacy. Excuse me, Jake Lacy. Jake Lacy was Brother B on um a Friend of the family. 

 

MegScoop Thomas: [gasp] Oh yeah! 

 

Dr. Imani Walker: Who we who we uh we talked about last week. Yeah. 

 

MegScoop Thomas: Yes. 

 

Dr. Imani Walker: I was like I was like, I know that. I know that face. I was like–

 

MegScoop Thomas: Yes he was okay. 

 

Dr. Imani Walker: –And on, listen. And on White Lotus, he raggedy and in a Friend in the family. He raggedy as hell. I was like, I ain’t never going to like you in person. I know that. 

 

MegScoop Thomas: Right. 

 

Dr. Imani Walker: I’m just kidding. I don’t know you, Jake Lacy. You probably real nice, but anyway. 

 

MegScoop Thomas: He’s a really good actor too. He’s really good. 

 

Dr. Imani Walker: He is a good actor. I was like this fool out here making me because okay, remember, look, you know how many years it took for me to get over um to finally like forgive like Laurence Fishburne in real life after What’s love got to do with it. 

 

MegScoop Thomas: For real? 

 

Dr. Imani Walker: It took me like ten years because every time I would see him like like on TV, or I’d see him like in a picture. I’d just be like, mm, I’ll always think of it’s like, like, Anna Mae? Like who who gonna who gonna help Ike? Who gonna help Ike? And I was like I’m gonna kill him. I’m a kill him if I see him the street.

 

MegScoop Thomas: So you didn’t like Matrix then, you didn’t like him in Matrix huh? 

 

Dr. Imani Walker: No, that’s what I’m saying. Like once he once he once he was um Morpheus on in Matrix. I was like alright, because up until then I was like, Mmm mm, if I see him the street. I’m a slap the shit outta him. I was like, he played that shit too well, too well. So anyway, I love you, Laurence Fishburne. You alright with me now. Just kidding. [laughing] You you alright with me. Um. Okay. So Tanya now Tanya is crazy. And she and I was when I was watching some of white lotus yesterday. She was like, well, I’m crazy and oh, fun fact when she when she said that she was crazy on um In White Lotus on season one, she was saying it in reference to this guy that she met who she starts dating and I believe he comes back for season two. I saw him on the first episode of Season two. 

 

MegScoop Thomas: Okay. 

 

Dr. Imani Walker: Now I got to look up his name because this dude hod up, hold up. This dude used to play on Martin back in the day, John Griese or Gries. 

 

MegScoop Thomas: Ohhh. 

 

Dr. Imani Walker: He was the white dude. He was the white dude–. 

 

MegScoop Thomas: Yeah. 

 

Dr. Imani Walker: –At the radio station on Martin. 

 

MegScoop Thomas: Yeah. 

 

Dr. Imani Walker: Okay. And for all you super nerds, like old nerds like me, he also was the dude in the closet in uh in Weird Genius who ended up, like, winning. Like it was like if you ever saw uh weird, uh weird genius, it’s this it’s this old movie with Val Kilmer, and they’re at like this MIT school. And it was really like just height of ’80s movieness. And he lived in the closet, and um it was it was this whole thing. But anyway, John Greez or John Gries, I’m like, I know I was like I was like, that man been in, like, mad Black movies and mad Black shows. So big up to you I I seen you, um in any case. So Tanya is describing, Tanya is describing herself um as crazy on the show. Now, here’s the thing about Tanya. She’s I mean, Tanya’s grieving, right? Like she– 

 

MegScoop Thomas: Yeah. 

 

Dr. Imani Walker: –lost her mom. She specifically went to The White Lotus Resort, um which is um fictional, like you said. And it’s set in Italy. It looks really it looks hella nice out there. Like it looks so, so–. 

 

MegScoop Thomas: Yeah. 

 

Dr. Imani Walker: –Nice. One of the actresses from um Insecure uh plays Belinda on the show who I love. Tanya in season one um had described herself as crazy and she was at the White Lotus Resort. She was there to um she was there with her mother’s ashes. She was there to scatter her mother’s ashes. Uh. The resort in season one is in Hawaii. Season two, it’s in Italy. It looks really nice. Um. 

 

MegScoop Thomas: Yeah. 

 

Dr. Imani Walker: I’m like, I kind of want to go there. I saw a little bit about um it was like an after, like, you know, like let’s chat with like the the not the cast, but like the director or the showrunner. And so what this what I guess the showrunner was saying or one of the writers was saying is that they HBO wanted a show that they could do during the pandemic that was not going to have so many people in one scene and that they could always pretty much do outside. And I didn’t think about that. 

 

MegScoop Thomas: Make sense. That make sense.

 

Dr. Imani Walker: And so I was watching it and I was like I was like, Oh, that makes sense. A lot of people like White Lotus, I kind of saw it as like white people with problems, like rich white people with problems. I was just like, I guess, I mean, I tried to get into it I really couldn’t. [laughter] But I. But Jennifer Coolidge, who plays Tanya, I loved her. She’s she’s a mess. Um. She’s she’s grieving her mom, you know. 

 

MegScoop Thomas: Yeah. 

 

Dr. Imani Walker: And that makes sense. She was kind of flippant about it on season one. Um. And once she started to scatter her mother’s ashes, she actually like she scattered like some of them. And then she was like, okay, I can’t do this. I can’t do this. And then all I kept thinking of was I was like, well, hopefully she just scattered like, you know, a nonessential organ, like like her spleen or something. [laughter] Like, hopefully she didn’t scatter, like, half her mom’s face or something. 

 

MegScoop Thomas: Oh my gosh. 

 

Dr. Imani Walker: Cause that’d be kind of messed up. [laughter] So these the dumb shit, the dumb, stupid things I think of. But she, you know, she was she was grieving. And then when she finally was able to scatter her mother’s ashes, it was definitely like a more like jubilant, joyous kind of a release of a lot of this, you know, pressure. Um. Tanya had spoken about how she had to there was a lot of um, I mean, naturally, when someone dies and let’s say they don’t have the plans in place um, like, I mean, just the basic like, you know, what kind of casket you want, what funeral home you want to have it at, what you want to wear? Like, these are things that a lot of people don’t settle before they die. And so it’s left to relatives to do and Tanya was like, you know, I was just mired with all of this minutia that I had to take care of from my mom um when she died. And um, you know, it was it was it was really it was really touching to see especially, you know, as as as I get older, as we all get older, you know, I mean, I’ll put it to you like this. My mother has always talked about like one day I’m going to die. And when I die, I kind of grew up with like my grandmother was like, well, I’m going to die soon. I’m like, well, you’re 55. So like, I always– 

 

MegScoop Thomas: Like let’s not say that yet. [laugh]

 

Dr. Imani Walker: –Kind of had this, right. But I always was kind of used to having to talk about it. Like, I’m pretty sure my mom has been talking about, like, estate planning and her will since I was like 20 and I was like, I don’t want to hear about this, but now I’m like, yes, tell me more, because I don’t really want to have to, you know, be mired with all that stuff and I already know my mother has it has it taken care of. But but, you know, for a lot of people, they they haven’t. And when you’re grieving and you have to do like business type stuff it’s it’s just– 

 

MegScoop Thomas: Yeah. 

 

Dr. Imani Walker: You know. 

 

MegScoop Thomas: It’s not easy. 

 

Dr. Imani Walker: It’s it’s really impossible. It’s not easy at all. And what you don’t want to do is be like, well, do you want the old coffin or the cedar one? It’s like, bitch I don’t know, just put her in one and then it’s like, well, do you want what kind of lining do you want? It’s like, oh my God, you know what? Now I’m like, you know just put now I’m a just pick a cardboard box. I don’t I’m like, I just want to go home and cry. 

 

MegScoop Thomas: Oh my gosh. 

 

Dr. Imani Walker: So um but obviously you don’t want to do that. So for Tanya, I would say that she she’s grieving like she I wouldn’t– 

 

MegScoop Thomas: Yeah. 

 

Dr. Imani Walker: –Go so far as to say that she’s depressed. But, um you know, she definitely was grieving in season one. So that’s my diagnosis.

 

MegScoop Thomas: Yeah and I, you know and then the other thing about her, I feel like she’s just one of those, like she’s one of those she comes off as a woman that just like pops pills and like drinks champagne in the middle of the day like ugh.

 

Dr. Imani Walker: [laughing] Yes. 

 

MegScoop Thomas: Give me my valium. 

 

Dr. Imani Walker: But she was like, I’m an alcoholic. 

 

MegScoop Thomas: Right. 

 

Dr. Imani Walker: Yeah. 

 

MegScoop Thomas: I need my valium and my alcohol– 

 

Dr. Imani Walker: Yeah, she’s, I’m an alcoholic and I’m crazy.

 

MegScoop Thomas: Right. 

 

Dr. Imani Walker: Yeah. 

 

MegScoop Thomas: She’s– 

 

Dr. Imani Walker: Yeah. 

 

MegScoop Thomas: She’s definitely eccentric, but I would agree with you. I think she’s suffering from some grieving type of stuff, but I think she’s also probably like it comes from clinical depression. I do think she’s–

 

Dr. Imani Walker: Yeah. 

 

MegScoop Thomas: –Probably depressed with the lot that goes on. And then season two just started and we kind of see that she’s got a husband and there’s something some kind of secret going on with him so is that part of like– 

 

Dr. Imani Walker: Ohh. 

 

MegScoop Thomas: –her anxiety is that, you know, she knows something’s– 

 

Dr. Imani Walker: Probably. 

 

MegScoop Thomas: –Going on with him, but not sure yet. But I guess we’ll see as this season unfolds what it is. Exactly. But yeah, I definitely think she’s–

 

Dr. Imani Walker: Oh! She’s married. 

 

MegScoop Thomas: She got a husband girl. Season two.

 

Dr. Imani Walker: Oh she was just. Oh, oh, okay. Okay. Well, now, I guess I kind of have to watch season two and watch these white people problems. Plus, um. 

 

MegScoop Thomas: Yes girl. 

 

Dr. Imani Walker: What’s his name? Christopher from um The Sopranos, which is one of the most racist shows that I love so much. Um. Michael Imperioli um is on season two, so um and I’ve always really liked him as an actress, so um I’m a watch that. But. But, yeah. I, I’m going to start watching this show. I’m going to start watching this show about rich white people problems. And um you know what, Meg, I guess you kind of convinced me, so. 

 

MegScoop Thomas: [laugh] Why not? 

 

Dr. Imani Walker: So there it is. 

 

MegScoop Thomas: I mean, it’s a cool, it’s a cool show. I like it, kind of you know–

 

Dr. Imani Walker: Yeah. 

 

MegScoop Thomas: You have mysteries that unfold. 

 

Dr. Imani Walker: Yeah. 

 

MegScoop Thomas: At least from the from the last season, the very first episode and then the last episode you see, like, kind of comes full circle. [music break]

 

Dr. Imani Walker: So that’s it for pop culture diagnosis. We’re going to have another fun character to analyze next week. If you guys have suggestions for fictional characters out there, you’d like for me to diagnose, hit me up on Twitter at @doctor_Imani, hit make up on Instagram at @MegScoop and email the show at AskDrImani@Crooked.com. And again, if you are enjoying the show, don’t forget to rate and review the show on your favorite podcast apps because I’m a give shout outs to those people who do leave comments. So big up to see C. Jean Jack and Mack the Brown. Thank you so much for listening and thank you so much for commenting and rating the show. Thank you again for listening to Imani State of Mind. Thank you as always to Meg for co-hosting. And we will be back for an all new episode next week. 

 

MegScoop Thomas: Bye! [music break]

 

Dr. Imani Walker: This is a Crooked Media production. Our executive producer is Sandy Girard. Our producer is Lesley Martin. Music from Vasilis Fotopoulos. Edited by Veronica Simonetti. And special thanks to Brandon Williams, Gabi Leverette, Mellani Johnson and Matt DeG for promotional support.